HEALTH ALERT: SEASONAL ROUTINE -- Flu Shots (#1)

Posted: 26 Oct 14
Update #1:  26 Oct -- added information concerning alleged dangers of flu shots (at bottom)

1.  Purpose

Just a friendly reminder to not forget the all-important flu shot.  (Got mine, Friday last)

It could be a grave error to take this lightly.

2.  Lessons from Contemporary History

Don't forget, a mere 97-years ago:

The 1918 flu pandemic (January 1918 – December 1920) was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic, the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus. It infected 500 million people across the world, including remote Pacific islands and the Arctic, and killed 50 to 100 million of them—three to five percent of the world's population—making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history.  (Click here for the rest of this Wikipedia discussion)

3.  Some Free Resources

Here are a few relevant Google searches which you might find helpful.  Just fine-tune them to suit your location, as appropriate:

• Free Influenza Immunizations in the US -- to get you started, if that's helpful.
• Free Influenza Immunizations in California
• Free Influenza Immunizations in the San Francisco Bay Area
• Free Influenza Immunizations in Contra Costa County
• Free Influenza Immunizations in Pittsburg, CA area
• Influenza Statistics, 2014

David Nelson

UPDATE -- ARE FLU SHOTS DANGEROUS?

It's a very important question (especially those in a fragile position) and of course there will be arguments, pro and con(sigh!). I think in all cases of doubt, one's health care provider is the right source for such answers.  

But, let's take a glance at some of the arguments.  Hopefully, this will not unduly confuse things, but to try to be thorough, those with concerns might welcome some links.  Here is a start:

• Google Search: ARE FLU SHOTS DANGEROUS?
• Snopes.com Analysis -- this is a well-known, highly-respected fact-checker.
• And, here is an interesting Wikipedia discussion of the 2009 Influenza Pandemic -- a plausible defense by the World Health Organization.

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